A Clockwork Orange

I watched A Clockwork Orange tonight. Its quite good, but its disturbing as hell. This movie brings up a very good point though. What is the difference between right and wrong? That, i find, is a very big topic in the film. The main character is Alex, who is pretty much everything evil. He is all about rape and murder, with seemingly no conscience or thought to the effects of his actions. He is eventually caught after murdering a woman and being betrayed by his gang of thugs/friends. Alex is sent to prison but decides to take a experimental and dangerous treatment that will "cure" him and get him out of prison. The result is a clockwork orange, an expression used in East London. It is something or in this case someone who appears normal on the outside but is strange or different on the inside. I dont want to give away too much but the result is that Alex is utterly incapable of harming anyone or committing any acts of violence as well as having a terrible reaction to Beetoven's 9th symphony fourth movement. Alex is promtly let out of prison to start a new life. Unfortunately Alex's previous victims, fanily and "friends" catch up with him and exact their cruel vengance upon him for all the suffering that he had inflicted upon them. Alex is utterly helpless and unable to fight back. He is tortured, beat up, made fun of and eventually driven to attempt suicide. Reforms are once again attempted and Alex is returned to his previous state of maniacal readiness to hurt. Was this right or wrong? Did he deserve it? Were Alex's rights to choose and defend himself violated? A viewer can clearly see both sides of the situation. Although the narrorator is Alex himself, the film allows you to choose either side. This is what makes a film good.

Anything goes.